Trigger Warning: Suicide
Key Takeaways:
- Vic Mensa shared a tearful video exposing how the streaming economy is damaging artists’ mental health.
- Keke Palmer and Lupe Fiasco backed Mensa’s message, adding their own reflections on the value of art.
- The conversation highlights a growing call for change in how artists are treated in the digital music era.
Vic Mensa feels like his work as an artist is being devalued in the streaming era, and now his industry peers are speaking out to share that same sentiment, too. The “Southside Story” rapper sparked a discourse about the toll of being a creative and the harrowing implications it can have on an individual’s mental health in a vulnerable video uploaded to Instagram on Tuesday (June 3).
He confided that he felt “immense fear” in sharing his candid and “real” thoughts on the topic in the caption. At the heart of his message is the question: Are we caring for the people that create music? His written words continued, “On this day, I just felt it all. Art is the soul of humanity. As not only a creator of it, but first and foremost a lover of it, a fan, I look forward to us as a collective community finding new ways for this [thing] to exist.”
In the tear-filled clip, Mensa broke down over the emotional weight of being an artist in a world where music is streamed but rarely valued. He pointed to the irony of fans paying for subscriptions while refusing to buy albums, calling it “heartbreaking.” The Chicago native explained, “People feel like that s**t not worth $10… Artists are already people that are predisposed to suicide,” laying bare the mental toll of the streaming economy.
Mensa closed out the deeply emotional message by noting that despite touching millions with his art and living a beautiful life, he knew that lesser-known contemporaries as well as prominent acts had to be feeling that same heaviness. His assumption was right, as many spoke out about their own struggles in the comments.
Among them was Keke Palmer. The multi-hyphenate entertainer shared, “Everyone and everything is being depreciated, and art is an extension of that. It’s not the center, but it can feel like that when you are an artist.” Palmer continued, “When I look around at the times we are in, I am just happy to have my community and to be able to create something even if I invest more than what I’m certain I’ll get back. And I know it’s a blessing to have what I do have, but I also hate that it has to be that deep for people all the time.”
Lupe Fiasco also dropped a gem and words of encouragement in his reaction. He commented, “The mistake is starting from a place of monetary worth in the first place. You never value worth. You value value. Value was never decided by how much it is worth monetarily. Value is defined by impact. I never want to see you shed a tear over money ever again, my G. You [are] too valuable for that.”
Vic Mensa does not shy away from mental health discussions as an artist
The Victor storyteller told CNBC’s Make It, “I’ve always had a philosophy that vulnerability is, like, my superpower,” in March. His transparency in speaking about his mental health struggles has resonated with fans on tracks like his “Anxiety” freestyle and “There’s A lot Going On.” His social accounts are also hosts to numerous videos that serve as check-ins and a reminder that he is just like everyone else out there struggling with their mental health. He believes, “If I can help give someone a relatable experience and potentially show the possibility of a light at the end of the tunnel, then I think that’s a job well done.”
Mensa’s message about the streaming era wasn’t just a moment of vulnerability. It was a wake-up call, and the conversation is just getting started.